50% off Privilege coupon is even better than I thought (and an interesting GST/HST tax fact)

[zephyr17]

I had assumed that the 50% off coupon for the Canadian and the Ocean you get with Privilege status was only good for a one leg on those trains. I just booked a round trip Vancouver-Toronto-Vancouver for next spring and they applied the 50% to both legs, which I was not expecting. The entire trip is less than $1900 USD.

Also in researching fares I was checking one way fares from both Toronto and Vancouver. The taxes if originating in Toronto are about twice as much than if you start in Vancouver. Further checking revealed that tax levels based on the origin apply to the whole booking, not the sum of the two one ways. So if you want to ride the Canadian and don't care which direction, you can save about $100 CAD ($200 CAD round trip) by starting in Vancouver.

 

[Urban Sky]

British Columbia doesn't charge provincial sales tax on VIA Rail tickets, whereas Ontario charges its regular 8%, which means that tickets originating BC are charged 5% federal tax, whereas those originating Ontario are charged 13% harmonized sales tax...

 

[zephyr17]

Thanks, seemed odd initially because state sales taxes, which vary wildly, are not charged on rail and air tickets in the US. A ticket between any two points is the same price regardless of origin or direction traveled (yield management notwithstanding).

Have to keep it in mind for future planning on VIA, though.